Ch.. Ch.. Ch.. Changes...

Since so many people have so kindly been inquiring about my life and/or wondering if I will be making beads again soon, I thought I'd update my blog with what's been happening in my little part of the universe.

Firstly, sometime soon (very soon), my website will be going offline - in case you haven't read past posts, it's because my ISP is terminating all free websites shortly, and since I haven't been making beads with anywhere near regularity for well over 12 months, I've decided to let it slide. So shortly (ie. whenever I get off my butt to make the necessary change), my URL of http://2cats.cjb.net should bring you directly here to my blog. If (or when) I make beads again, you'll see it here first.

So, anyway, that should answer one of the questions - no, I haven't made any beads. I'm not even going to bother saying the usual of "soon" as I'm sure by now, you're sick to death of 'hearing' me say that. Suffice to say at some point, hopefully in the not too distant future, I hope to fire up the torch again.

However, there have been some major changes in my life the past few months - particularly since mid August. I made the decision mid August to suddenly (or what may have appeared to be suddenly) leave my job. As many of you know, I'm a self-employed medical transcriptionist and with Russ out of work for almost 2 yrs now, I've been (and still am) the breadwinner - hence the reason I've spent so little time making beads. I spent the past 2.5+ yrs concentrating so hard on my MT work pretty much 24/7 that I had reached the point where something had to give. Although it wasn't an easy decision to leave, it wasn't really a spur of the moment one, but it *was*, I felt, a necessary one. I loved my job, I loved the work, and even now around 6 weeks' later, I still miss it.. Hey ho ...

However, life goes on, and as the saying goes "when one door shuts, another one opens". I'm back to working as a transcriptionist, and alternating between picking up a little work here and there from an interstate transcription company (located in Qld) and starting my own business. It's 'slowly slowly' at the moment, but I'm hopeful of bigger and better things. Ultimately though, I have no intention (or desire) to run a huge company - just enough clients to keep the work steadily rolling in is enough for me. I left the corporate world 100 years ago to get away from too much pressure, I lapsed for 2.5+ yrs in my last job, and ultimately paid the price, particularly emotionally. I'm not going to put myself in that situation again any time soon.

So yep, things aren't perfect, but they're not all bad either. I'm no longer having to work weekends or be on-call 24/7, and although I'm still a little lost at times, ultimately I think I'm a happier person for the decisions I've made. I'm going to take each day as it comes. I'm also hoping that this arrangement will give me enough time (and thereby encourage my muse to return) to start thinking about making beads again soon. I'm not going to push myself, I'll just let it happen - or not happen, as the case may be. I've put too much pressure on myself for too long, and I'm now going to spend a little while enjoying some "me" time. Whatever will be, will be.

So, that's the state of play at the moment. Keep checking the blog every now & then in case I do start melting glass again - as I say, you'll see it here first! In the meantime, thanks again to all of you who have taken the time to send me emails of encouragement - you know who you are, and you KNOW how much I appreciate your kind thoughts.

Ciao for now - Sue.